Brain Damage From CO: Suing San Antonio Commercial Building Owners for Safety Failures

Despite the many dangers of the invisible gas carbon monoxide (CO), there is no universal law in Texas requiring CO detectors in homes. However, there are building codes specific to San Antonio, Texas, and state commercial building laws that do require this safety measure. Beyond regulations on detectors, ensuring the safety of appliances that emit CO, such as heating furnaces and ovens, is a reasonable expectation for any commercial property owner, and a local lawyer can build a case on it.

For instance, owners of the following commercial buildings all owe you protection from CO hazards:

• Multi-unit apartment complexes
• Condos managed by commercial groups
• Specialized housing for students or seniors
• Daycares, restaurants, and offices
• Enclosed construction areas or warehouses
• Hotels or other short-term rental properties

If you or a loved one has suffered CO injuries that a building owner could have prevented, the San Antonio TX attorneys at Carabin Shaw are well-versed in the laws that can get you the compensation you deserve. Contact our law firm today to schedule your FREE CASE REVIEW.

Of the 50,000 reported CO poisoning cases per year in the United States, around 15 to 40% involve lasting brain injuries. A CO brain damage lawyer understands the breadth of the injuries that might affect you, including:

• Seizures, loss of consciousness, and other acute responses that require immediate treatment
• Memory loss, impaired executive functioning, mood disorders, motor problems, hearing loss, and blindness
• Any of the above conditions that become chronic

CO harms the brain by depriving it of oxygen, leading to cell damage that can cause these symptoms to develop over time and persist.

A Texas attorney familiar with San Antonio municipal codes can prove that a building manager failed to maintain CO detectors when they were legally required to. However, there are other grounds for legal action based on premises liability, or the responsibility of an owner to maintain a safe property.

A San Antonio premises liability attorney might also hold commercial building owners responsible for CO hazards like:

• Damaged ventilation systems
• Unrepaired heaters or generators
• Improper handling of appliances in commerce areas or construction sites
• Lack of inspections or ignoring reports

Suing a builder-owner for CO poisoning becomes possible when they knew or should have known about a hazard but didn’t act to address it. If the unsafe condition can be directly linked to the CO exposure causing your injuries, you should be able to claim damages.

Many CO-related brain injuries appear over the month after poisoning, and the consequences can be slow to resolve. As a result, expenses stack up unexpectedly. Broadly speaking, your lawyer helps you identify damages that fall within two categories:

1. Economic: Cost of all medical treatment, testing, medications, assistive devices, rehab, lost wages, reduced earnings, job retraining, etc.
2. Non-economic: Emotional impact of suffering and relationship burdens

Children, the elderly, and fetuses are especially vulnerable to CO, so your legal team fights on their behalf, too.

Carabin Shaw adds value to your case by investigating the source of your exposure, establishing negligence, calculating complete damages, and handling all negotiations. Our law firm’s client reviews illustrate our success at listening to your experience to help you achieve these legal goals.

Our line is open 24/7, and our staff can speak with you in English or Spanish to set up a free case review in San Antonio. It’s important to us to keep our offerings accessible so that you can get guidance promptly. That’s why we also offer our services on a contingency-fee basis, so you only pay a percentage of what we win.

CO may have been an unseen threat, but you can trust Carabin Shaw to clear your path to recovery.

For more information:

• Municode Codification
• National Library of Medicine
• ScienceDirect